


Are You Afraid of the Dark?

by 1010nabulation



Category: Ookiku Furikabutte
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-11-04
Updated: 2010-11-04
Packaged: 2017-10-13 01:27:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,433
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/131299
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/1010nabulation/pseuds/1010nabulation
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The Nishiura team gathers at Mihashi's for a Halloween sleepover ghost-story extravaganza... and Oki wishes he hadn't come.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Are You Afraid of the Dark?

"Tell the one with the hook hand man next!" Sakaeguchi urged, eyes wide as he scooted a bit closer to Suyama next to him. "You know, with the lovers in the car!"

"Nah, everybody knows that one," Tajima said, taking the flashlight from Abe, who had just finished a story, and shining it up into his own face. He grinned hugely. "I've got a better one!"

Oki shivered, hugging his knees. He'd thought this Halloween sleepover at Mihashi's house with the whole team would be fun, but that was before he knew they all wanted to tell ghost stories all night long. He would have been much happier if they'd just eaten candy til they were sick, maybe carved up some pumpkins or something like he'd heard Americans did. They'd already been telling stories for a couple of hours, and with each passing story Oki wished he hadn't come after all.

Everyone leaned in closer to Tajima as he started to tell his tale; even Izumi looked more interested than usual.

"This is one my older brother told me _really happened_ when he was away at university. There were these two girls who were rooming together, Nanami and Rin. One night Nanami was expecting a guy over, so Rin decided to stay over with another friend so Nanami could have some privacy." Tajima grinned widely at that part, no doubt imagining just what Nanami and a guy would be needing privacy for.

"Was the guy your brother?" Mizutani asked.

"Nah, he just knew the girls, strictly," Tajima said, sounding a little sorry to disappoint. "Anyway, Rin left, but after a while she found out she'd left her phone at home so she decided she'd go and grab it really quick. When she opened the door to the dorm room all the lights were out and she thought Nanami and her guy were already doin' it, so she left it dark and just felt around til she found her phone on the dresser and then left again…"

An awful sinking feeling was developing in Oki's stomach by the time Tajima paused again and looked out over his attentive audience. His teeth were on edge, fingers clenched in the cuffs of his pajama bottoms. Everyone else seemed fine. Even Mihashi looked excited in a good way.

"The next day Rin came back to her dorm and found police tape all over the place! She rushed in past all the police and went into her room—and she found Nanami's body all hacked to bits in her bed in a lake of blood!" Tajima was half standing now, gesturing knife thrusts in the air. "And on the wall, written in blood, was a message just for Rin: 'aren't you glad you didn't turn on the lights?'!"

Oki couldn't take it anymore. Getting up with a strange strangled moan, he ran out of the room. He didn't stop until he was safely ensconced in one of the guest room closets. There he huddled and finally let himself cry, safe from his teammates and all the ghosts and murderers they were calling up in the other room.

Meanwhile, the disruption didn't seem to be fazing the team much.

"He probably just had to piss," Tajima said, shrugging Oki's sudden departure off and handing the flashlight to Hanai next.

Most of the teammates nodded, with varying degrees of belief or comfort. Some were probably just too scared to get up and search for him themselves…

"I'm going to go make sure he's alright," Nishihiro finally volunteered, getting up from his spot in the team circle.

Agreements rang through the group, some teammates clearly relieved that Nishihiro had stepped up, some thinking it wasn't any big deal.

Nishihiro moved quietly through the unfamiliar house, checking the bathroom first. No Oki, just as he'd thought. Not in the kitchen either, or the entry hall, or Mihashi's room. He was beginning to get more worried when finally he thought he heard something like muffled sniffling coming from the empty room across the hall.

Oki tensed as he heard footsteps approaching, his imagination running wild. He tried to hold his breath so the killer outside wouldn't find him. _Step…step…_ Someone barefoot coming closer! Unable to hold his breath any longer, Oki let it out in a gasping whimper. "P-please don't kill me!" he whispered thickly.

"…Oki? It's me, Nishihiro." He paused by the closet door, gently sliding it open to find Oki crouched in the corner, hands over his head.

"Oh, N-Nishihiro. Hey," Oki said, tearstained face emerging as he lowered his arms. "I… uh…"

"It's okay if you're scared," Nishihiro said. He knelt in front of Oki, who shifted over to make room for him in the closet. Once they were both safely in the closet, Nishihiro smiled shyly at Oki. "But you don't have to be. I'll stay with you."

Oki wiped at his face and looked at Nishihiro, glad for the darkness so he wouldn't see him blushing. "Thanks… you're not afraid?"

"Well… no. That stuff's not real anyway," Nishihiro explained.

"But Tajima said it was a t-true story!" Oki insisted, feeling a shiver go through him at the thought of the poor murdered girl and her roommate.

Tentatively, Nishihiro wrapped an arm around Oki's shoulders, having felt that shiver. Oki's warmth felt nice beside him; maybe the other boy would be comforted by the closeness too. "I've heard that story before at camp, though," Nishihiro said reasonably. "So it's likely just an urban legend. Not real."

Oki nodded, wondering now if maybe Tajima's brother was lying or if there were _more_ sneaky murderers out there. All the same, he snuggled closer to Nishihiro, reassured by his solid weight. "What about the ghost in the basement?"

"Well," Nishihiro began, wrapping his arm more closely against Oki and blushing crimson when he lay his head on his shoulder. "Uh—well, there's no such thing as ghosts, scientifically speaking. No proof, anyway. If they existed you'd think there'd be some sort of scientific documentation by now. So… so you don't have to be afraid of that either."

Oki sighed, relaxing against Nishihiro. "Oh." Of the Nishiura teammates, Nishihiro was the smartest, so believing him over Tajima and the others was easy. And, Oki thought, it probably didn't hurt that he'd been harboring something of a crush on him for a while now… being this close to him was making his heart flutter for a completely different reason than before. He turned a little, resting his cheek against the space where Nishihiro's shoulder and chest met, returning his hug by wrapping his own arm over Nishihiro's body. He could stay like that all night, listening to Nishihiro's heart beat, feeling his chest rise and fall with his breathing…

Nishihiro smiled, almost afraid to believe this was really happening. He stayed as still as possible, hoping Oki wouldn't move. After a little while, the fingers of one hand wandered up into the short hair at the base of Oki's neck, stroking at it.

Oki gasped at the contact, the gentle stroking making his neck tingle, warmth starting to pool low in his belly.

Immediately, Nishihiro pulled his hand away. "S-sorry! I… I won't--"

"No it's alright!" Oki protested, tightening his grip on Nishihiro and looking up at him bashfully. "…I liked it."

"Oh," Nishihiro said, searching Oki's face in the dimness. "Okay." Haltingly, he brought his hand back up and brushed his fingers through Oki's hair again. That earned him a shy smile and small noise of contentment from the other boy. Nishihiro's heart raced as he decided to try another little experiment. Slowly, he leaned his face closer to Oki's, lips slightly parted, waiting to see what Oki would do. Oki didn't move, just licked his lips and swallowed, breathing a little faster. A breath away from their lips meeting, Nishihiro changed course and kissed the tip of Oki's adorable nose then drew back and looked away.

"What--?" Oki asked.

"Scared," Nishihiro confessed, staring at the closet wall.

"Of _me_?" Oki reached up and gently turned Nishihiro's face back toward him, laughing a little. "That makes no sense! You're not scared of ghosts or murderers, but--"

"I know…"

Before Nishihiro could say another word, Oki leaned in and brought their lips together. The kiss was sweet and awkward, neither quite daring to even sweep a tongue out to taste. "I'm scared too," Oki breathed as he drew back.

They both laughed then, relieved that they were feeling the same thing. It was alright… they had hours before dawn to conquer their fear.


End file.
